Middle East

A natural gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan to Iran received its inauguration ceremony Wednesday. This is the second energy link between the two countries, and will this year double the amount of natural gas that Iran imports from Turkmenistan to 12 billion cubic meters annually. Stratfor reports that the presence of Turkey’s energy minister at the ceremony is noteworthy because of the possibility of Turkey becoming a transit route for Central Asian and Middle Eastern energy supplies to be transported to Europe. The new Turkmenistan-Iran pipeline will make Turkmenistan’s natural gas much more accessible to Turkey. Moreover, Iran itself has large supplies of natural gas that Turkey intends to transfer to Europe. “Iran’s geographical location makes it a very attractive alternative to Russia for energy supplies destined for Europe, and it has heavy volumes of its own natural gas (though most current production is used for domestic consumption) and vast untapped reserves” (Stratfor, January 6). We can expect the competition for energy resources to heat up and eventually contribute to conflict in the region.

In a televised statement on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama warned that the United States would target al Qaeda in Yemen. President Obama said, “As these violent extremists pursue new havens, we intend to target al Qaeda wherever they take root, forging new partnerships to deny them sanctuary, as we are doing currently with the government in Yemen.” This follows the December 25 attempted terrorist attack claimed by the al Qaeda node in Yemen, which if successful would have been the deadliest attack in the U.S. since 9/11. While the U.S. is already conducting limited counterterrorism operations in Yemen, this “may not satisfy the administration’s critics at home, putting Obama in the uncomfortable position of having to get more aggressive in Yemen. The geopolitical reality of Yemen, however, makes any such venture an extremely risky one” (Stratfor, January 6). One factor threatening Yemen’s stability is the sectarian insurgency in the north, where Iranian-supported insurgents are battling Saudi forces. Any direct U.S. involvement in Yemen could create conditions favorable to al Qaeda and other terrorists. America, already tied down in Afghanistan and trying to extricate itself from Iraq, is unlikely to get very involved in Yemen—and terrorist attacks are likely to continue.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security has named 60 foreign organizations as sources of funding for Iranian opposition groups, Iran’s state-run Mehr news agency reported Monday. The organizations were accused of pursuing “soft war” tactics in the Islamic Republic. This follows the large-scale anti-regime protests on December 27, which Tehran effectively quashed. In publishing a list of foreign organizations allegedly supporting the opposition, the regime is preparing to make mass arrests that will further weaken its opposition.

Europe

Europe will fall to Islam unless its inhabitants embrace Catholicism, said the outgoing archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk. “Europe has denied its Christian roots from which it has risen and which could give it the strength to fend off the danger that it will be conquered by Muslims—which is actually happening gradually,” he said in an interview, published January 6. “If Europe doesn’t change its relation to its own roots, it will be Islamized,” he said. “At the end of the Middle Ages and in the early modern age, Islam failed to conquer Europe with arms. The Christians beat them then. Today, when the fighting is done with spiritual weapons which Europe lacks while Muslims are perfectly armed, the fall of Europe is looming.” He said that immigration and Muslims’ high birthrate helped Muslims “easily fill the vacant space created as Europeans systematically empty the Christian content of their lives.” Cardinal Vlk wants Europe to fight back by returning to its medieval-style, Catholic-dominated roots. Bible prophecy tells us that this is exactly what will happen. A major clash is coming between Islam and a catholicized Europe. For more information on where this is leading, read our Dec. 6, 2007, article “Reliving the Battle of Tours-Poitiers.”

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s name is being put forward as potential vice chancellor for Germany. A number of high-ranking members of the Christian Social Union (csu) have called for the vice chancellorship to be take from Guido Westerwelle of the Free Democratic Party and passed on to the csu. “Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg would be an excellent figure for this office, and would convincingly embody the national ambitions of the csu,” said csu member of parliament Hans-Peter Uhl on January 2. Other senior csu members disagreed, saying that they were happy with the current arrangement. Nevertheless, this highlights Guttenberg’s popular appeal. For more information on why he is a man to watch, see our article from the February edition of the Trumpet “The Holy Roman Empire Is Back!”

Asia

January 1 marked the beginning of a new Russian empire. After a decade of discussion, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan entered a common customs union, cementing Russia’s control over two of its former Soviet satellites. Much like the creation of Europe’s customs union back in 1957, it is a beginning step to the creation of a supranational alliance, with Russia calling the shots. These three nations were the most pro-Soviet at the time of the Soviet Union’s collapse. Beginning a customs union is a starting point for a revival of something similar. “The upcoming debut of the customs union, therefore, is not just about Russia exerting its influence in Belarus and Kazakhstan but about Moscow’s attempt to formalize its authority in these countries and lay the groundwork for bolder moves throughout the rest of its periphery in 2010 and beyond,” Stratfor wrote (Dec. 31, 2009). Viktor Yanukovych, the frontrunner in the upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections, said he would initiate Ukraine’s accession into the customs union if elected. If this happens, it would enhance Russia’s economic influence in Ukraine considerably. The customs union Russia is creating in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is another step toward bringing Eastern nations into a stronger alliance that will eventually confront the EU. Russia plainly seeks to lead a political integration of its former Soviet satellites.

Russia has also gained more power over Lithuania. The EU told Lithuania it had to close its Soviet-era nuclear power plant, Ignalina, by the beginning of this year. It did so at 11 p.m., December 31. There were some very legitimate safety concerns about the Ignalina plant. However, its closure increases Russia’s influence over Lithuania. The plant produced twice as much energy as Lithuania needed. Lithuania has a number of options to make up for the shortfall of electricity in the short term. However, they all depend on Russia. Russia has used gas as a weapon to keep former Soviet states in line. Now it can use electricity to do the same to Lithuania.

Latin America

In the last two years, Venezuela has endured rolling blackouts up to a staggering 17 hours in length because of its overwhelmed electrical system. But these may soon be remembered as the good old days: A recent drought has escalated the situation to critical levels. Venezuela’s woes come at a time when Colombia’s natural gas exports to it are still at only 2.3 million cubic meters per day—versus 7 million before the cuts last October—due to Colombia’s own drought problems. Because Venezuela relies on the Guri Dam for about 73 percent of its electricity, dropping water levels have forced some operations to shut down. Electricity Minister Angel Rodriguez warned that without rationing, the Guri Dam would stop producing electricity next month. Protests to the government response have already begun. Protests at malls caused a reversal in power restrictions that shut down late-night restaurants and movies. More critically, mining companies were ordered to cut back production to save power. The electricity minister warned that the government might shut down nationalized steel and aluminum industries altogether. “These companies don’t belong to either [President Hugo] Chávez or [Energy Minister Rodolfo] Sanz,” said union leader Manuel Díaz. “They didn’t consult the Venezuelan people about shutting down production, and even less the workers.” Rather than addressing critical supply problems, the government has tried to cut demand. President Chávez needs to invest huge sums in infrastructure, but the economic crisis simply won’t allow for it. Instead, the economy will be further damaged by the power problems, as will his popularity at home.

Anglo-America

The first full week of 2010 dropped snow, ice and freezing winds all over the United States, with abnormally severe wind-chill temperatures plunging as low as 50 degrees below zero in North Dakota. Snow and freezing cold also affected states as far south as Louisiana, South Carolina and even Florida, as well as the Midwest, where some states received another foot of snow.

The adverse weather is not limited to North America. Heavy snowfall and lethally cold temperatures as low as 22 degrees below zero have killed 22 people and caused a spike in demand for natural gas in Britain. The nation’s National Grid has informed distributors that they must cut their energy supplies to major corporate customers in order to fill the surging needs of households—an edgy proposition for an already-fragile economy.

An “abortion supercenter” is being built in Houston, Texas. Planned Parenthood, an organization that supports abortion, is currently renovating a 78,000-square-foot former bank building to hold offices and surgery rooms to execute late-term abortions. This development comes the month after Houston became the first major city to elect a mayor who is a lesbian. In Washington, the current health-care reform bill making its way through the Senate this week still calls for taxpayer money to be used to carry out abortions. Current laws prohibit taxes from being used to fund abortions in most cases.